The NDFP International Office joins the entire revolutionary movement, the Filipino people, international allies, and Ka Coni Ledesma and family, in paying tribute to beloved comrade Luis “Ka Louie” Jalandoni who passed away last June 7 in Utrecht, The Netherlands. He was 90.
We honor the revolutionary legacy of Ka Louie who never faltered and stood firmly in upholding the justness of the armed revolutionary struggle of the Filipino people as the only way to national and social liberation and long-lasting peace. As a stalwart of peace, Ka Louie upheld the fundamental principles of peace based on genuine social justice and the basic resolution of the roots of the armed conflict – to overthrow the three basic problems of Philippine society – foreign domination, the feudal problem, and bureaucrat capitalism.
The NDFP International Office is testimony to the broad and extensive achievements of the comprehensive international work of the NDFP led by Ka Louie together with other comrades abroad.
Internationalist and solidarity activist
Immediately after having been designated chief international representative of the NDFP in 1977, Ka Louie took on considerable tasks and responsibilities, initiating breakthroughs in forging contacts and relations with national liberation movements such as in Palestine, Western Sahara, South Africa, Ireland, Eritrea, liberation movements in Latin America, and parties in power such as in Cuba, Greece (the former Pasok Party), and Venezuela, to name a few.
Ka Louie indefatigably represented the NDFP in countless international events, political conferences and meetings of various progressive groups in Europe and in other global regions. Having been a former Roman Catholic priest, Ka Louie tapped his former missionary confreres, in the Netherlands, Ireland, the UK and Italy to build a solidarity movement for the Philippine revolution. This movement became a powerful pressure against the then US-Marcos fascist dictatorship, and solicited significant political and material support not only for the anti-dictatorship movement but more importantly for the Philippine revolutionary movement.
Ka Louie’s and the other comrades’ efforts at solidarity work and international recognition for the NDFP bore fruition with the historic convening of the Permanent People’s Tribunal (PPT) First Session on the Philippines in November 1980 in Antwerp, Belgium. The PPT condemned the US-Marcos fascist regime for its systematic abuses and recognized the NDFP as the genuine representative of the Filipino people.
Peacemaker and revolutionary diplomat
In 1989, Ka Louie was designated as the chairperson of the NDFP Peace Panel in talks with the Government of the Philippines (Gph). Ka Louie, together with NDFP chief political consultant Ka Joma Sison, and the entire peace panel collectively worked hard for the passage and implementation of the Hague Joint Declaration, Joint Agreement on Security and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) and the Comprehensive Agreement on Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CAHRIHL). Ka Louie and the peace panel never wavered and always sought solutions acceptable to both sides. Such that negotiators from the GPH side would informally praise Ka Louie’s skill in being flexible without compromising revolutionary principles. Even when tempers flared and talks nearly collapsed, he stayed calm and firm. His calm, soft voice was a powerful way to ease tensions during heated exchanges in the negotiations.
Ka Louie would steadfastly perform his tasks as chief international representative and revolutionary diplomat, exploring, developing and establishing formal relations with a number of Marxist-Leninist parties, revolutionary organizations and formations and groups, tirelessly engaging in discussions with them, and bringing them the message of the Filipino people’s revolutionary armed struggle and socialist aspirations.
Propagandist and dedicated CPP cadre
As the need for a more organized way to spread information on the revolutionary struggle in the Philippines grew, and as more allies sought updates on the just armed struggle of the Filipino people, Ka Louie led the establishment of the NDFP International Information Office (now the NDFP International Office) in Utrecht, the Netherlands. It became a vital hub for information on the NDFP and the armed resistance of the Filipino people.
Ka Louie served as the first editor of the NDF Update in the 1980s following the milestone PPT in Belgium. In the mid-1990s, Liberation International was launched with Ka Antonio Zumel Jr. (aka Manual Romero) as its first editor. When Comrade Zumel passed away in 2001, Ka Louie took over as editor, writing under the noms de plume Ed Ladera and Edong Legislador, and working diligently as part of the editorial collective.
When the second great rectification movement began in Europe in the 1990s, Ka Louie stood firm on the side of the Party and tirelessly explained to comrades the necessity of the rectification movement. Ka Louie, together with other comrades, held intensive discussions, traveling to meet kasamas in different countries and patiently explaining the errors, and lessons learned in order to advance the Philippine revolution. He helped secure the Party’s resources and networks, which the renegades even threatened to seize.
Ka Louie played a vital role in the work among Filipino migrants as he exemplified revolutionary goodwill among his compatriots. He and other NDFP leaders opened the doors of the international office, at times providing shelter to the undocumented migrants and au pairs, lending the office space for use of compatriot meetings, fiestas and other popular Filipino events. This deep connection Ka Louie had with migrants, and his dedication to their well-being were evident in the fact that even the “terrorist” tagging of Ka Joma Sison and later Ka Louie himself, had no negative impact on the Filipino and Dutch communities in the Netherlands.
Indeed, Ka Louie lived an extraordinary and exemplary life as a revolutionary, internationalist, and representative of the fighting Filipino people. We join the entire revolutionary movement in cherishing his great legacy and pledge to carry forward the people’s democratic revolution until victory.
Long live the revolutionary legacy of Luis “Ka Louie” Jalandoni!
Long live the National Democratic Revolution!
Long live the National Democratic Front of the Philippines!
Advance the People’s Democratic Revolution to Victory!